Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-17
CAPTURED.
A Dynamite Bomb Exploder Cap.
tufed at Last.

"A dynamite nOmD E4pAOuer Cdps
tufed at Last.
SAN Francisco, February l6.-The
frequency of dynamite explosions along
the route of the Sutter and Geary street
cable lines and the apparent inability of
the police to detect the perpetrators of
such outrages have been the cause of
much adv erse criticism of that depart.
ment. Chief Crowley and Captain Lees
felt this keenly, and two or three weeks
ago they held council Of war and re-
solved to catch the rascals at any cost.
Double patrols-that is, two officers on
every block-were placed along both rail
road lines. Several persons were suspect
ed of participating in the dynamite out
RACES, among whom were John Stietes,
one of the Sutter street strikers, and Fl.
C. Deans, Conductor ON the North Beach
and Mission lines. The dwelling places
OF these suspects were under constant
surveillance. Stietes resided at 4l2 Lar
kin street, between Golden Gate avenue
and Turk street, and Deane at 50 Fourth
street. Captain Lees had rea.
son to belieye that q move was
about to be made by the dynami.
ters and last night the police
were cautioned to be careful. At mid
night Stietes' house was surrounded by
detectives, and developments were patti.
entity waited for. 1t was 4:30 o'clock
this morning when two detectives saw o
man leave Stietes' house, 60 into Turk
street, then eastward tswards Hyde
street. The detectives followed closely
and were soon joined by two others.
The man evidently perceived the officers
for he Immediately started to run. He
did not heed their order to stop, but
ran on. and was seen to throw q dyna-
mite cartridge into garden, from where
shots were fred at the man without
effect, but one of the policemen finally
captured him. The man proved to be
J. e. Stietes, one Of the striking carmen,
formerly employed on the Sutter street
road. The police visited Stietes' house
and there found more evidence of his
guilt. On . sewing machine they found
some cuttings from the very piece of
silisiaT in which the bomb was wrapped,
and also thread of the same size and
color a. that in which the bomb was
sewn. They also found copper cap
box which had doubtless contained the
caps with which the bomb was provided.
Stietes, when in prison, stated that he
had made an appointment with man
whom he called Fred Williams, to place
the cartridge on the track at the time
he was captured. The police have also
arrested II. C. Deane, in whose house
quantity of dynamite fuse was found.
Stietes claims that he had no inten-
ton Of placing the dynamite on the cor
track, but that one Fred Williams had
told him that he was going to put
cartridge on the 6utter street track and
asked him to accompany him. Stietes
says he went with Williams for the pur-
pose of obtaining evidence, and that he
had intended to expose him to the
police. The latter discredits Stietes'
story. Nothing has been discovered of
the alleged Fred Williams. Deane
claims that he is innocent of the entire
affair, and says he had no knowledge of
the. dynamite material found in his
house. He was formerly in the employ
Of the North Beach and Mission railroad.
The bomb which Stietes is said to
have thrown away when fleeing from
the officers was an ingenious and infer
nal contrivance. 1t consisted OF two
sticks of dynamite sewed up in slate
colored cloth, at the end of which there
was some loose dynamite caps. The
bomb was abeut fourteen inches long and
had strings attached to each end. The
detective explained that these were used
for lowering the bomb from wagon or
other vehicle, so that it might be placed
on the track without the necessity of
the plotter getting out or OF even stopping
tanning the cap and loose dynamite was
intended to tie across the rail, and when
the oars passed over it the cap would ex.
plode and cause the loose dynamite to 90
Of and ipnika the atioks.